US 10,372,066 B2 · Image forming apparatus · patentgrep

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a photosensitive member on which an image is formed and a developer bearing member, an intermediate transfer member onto which the image is transferred, a transfer member forming a nip portion for transfer of the image on the photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member, a transfer unit transferring the image on the intermediate transfer member onto the sheet, a motor rotating the photosensitive member, a motor control unit controlling the motor so the rotation speed of the photosensitive member is a target rotation speed, and a controller that acquires first and second load information of the photosensitive member in a first period where developer bearing member rotates and a second period where developer bearing member is stopped, and controls whether or not to change the target rotation speed based on the first and second load information.

Claims37

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit including
a photosensitive member, and
a developer bearing member configured to rotate, and bear a developing agent,
and configured to form the image on the photosensitive member using the developing agent on the developer bearing member;
an intermediate transfer member onto which the image is transferred;
a primary transfer member configured to transfer the image from the photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member;
a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the image from the intermediate transfer member onto the sheet;
a photosensitive member motor configured to rotate the photosensitive member;
an intermediate transfer member motor configured to rotate the intermediate transfer member;
a controller configured to:
control the photosensitive member motor so that a rotation speed of the photosensitive member is a photosensitive member target rotation speed;
control the intermediate transfer member motor so that a rotation speed of the intermediate transfer member is an intermediate transfer member target rotation speed;
acquire information related to a load of the photosensitive member motor in a period where the photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer member are rotated without rotating the developer bearing member;
and
control the photosensitive member target rotation speed based on the information,
wherein, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied while the plurality of images are continuously formed by the image forming unit, the controller stops rotation of the developer bearing member to acquire the information.

13 more elements

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a first photosensitive member;
a first exposure unit configured to expose the first photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image;
a first developing unit including a first developer bearing member configured to rotate, and bear a developing agent of a first color, and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the first photosensitive member using the developing agent on the first developer bearing member, to form a first image;
a second photosensitive member;
a second exposure unit configured to expose the second photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image;
a second developing unit including a second developer bearing member configured to rotate, and bear a developing agent of a second color that is different from the first color, and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the second photosensitive member using the developing agent on the second developer bearing member, to form a second image;
an intermediate transfer member onto which the first image and the second image are transferred;
a first primary transfer member configured to transfer the first image from the first photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member;
a second primary transfer member configured to transfer the second image from the second photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member;
a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the first image and the second image from the intermediate transfer member onto the sheet;
a first motor configured to rotate the first photosensitive member;
a second motor configured to rotate the second photosensitive member;
an intermediate transfer member motor configured to rotate the intermediate transfer member;
a controller configured to:
control the first motor so that a rotation speed of the first photosensitive member is a first target rotation speed;
control the second motor so that a rotation speed of the second photosensitive member is a second target rotation speed;
control the intermediate transfer member motor so that a rotation speed of the intermediate transfer member is an intermediate transfer member target rotation speed;
acquire first information related to a load of the first motor in a first period where the first photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer member are rotated without rotating the first developer bearing member;
control the first target rotation speed based on the first information;
acquire second information related to a load of the second motor in a second period where the second photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer member are rotated without rotating the second developer bearing member;
and
control the second target rotation speed based on the second information,
wherein, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied while the plurality of images are continuously formed, the controller stops rotation of the first developer bearing member to acquire the first information, and
wherein, in a case where the predetermined condition is satisfied while the plurality of images are continuously formed, the controller stops rotation of the second developer bearing member to acquire the second information.

21 more elements

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit including
a photosensitive member, and
a developer bearing member configured to rotate, and bear a developing agent,
and configured to form the image on the photosensitive member using the developing agent on the developer bearing member;
an intermediate transfer member onto which the image is transferred;
a primary transfer member configured to transfer the image from the photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member;
a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the image from the intermediate transfer member onto the sheet;
a photosensitive member motor configured to rotate the photosensitive member;
an intermediate transfer member motor configured to rotate the intermediate transfer member;
a controller configured to:
control the photosensitive member motor so that a rotation speed of the photosensitive member is a photosensitive member target rotation speed;
control the intermediate transfer member motor so that a rotation speed of the intermediate transfer member is an intermediate transfer member target rotation speed;
acquire information related to a load of the intermediate transfer member motor in a period where the photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer member are rotated without rotating the developer bearing member;
and
control the intermediate transfer member target rotation speed based on the information,
wherein, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied while the plurality of images are continuously formed by the image forming unit, the controller stops rotation of the developer bearing member to acquire the information.

13 more elements

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit including
a photosensitive member, and
a developer bearing member configured to rotate, and bear a developing agent,
and configured to form the image on the photosensitive member using the developing agent on the developer bearing member;
an intermediate transfer member onto which the image is transferred;
a primary transfer member configured to transfer the image from the photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member;
a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the image from the intermediate transfer member onto the sheet;
a photosensitive member motor configured to rotate the photosensitive member;
an intermediate transfer member motor configured to rotate the intermediate transfer member;
a controller configured to:
control the photosensitive member motor so that a rotation speed of the photosensitive member is a photosensitive member target rotation speed;
control the intermediate transfer member motor so that a rotation speed of the intermediate transfer member is an intermediate transfer member target rotation speed;
acquire information related to a load of the intermediate transfer member motor in a period where the photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer member are rotated without rotating the developer bearing member;
and
control the photosensitive member target rotation speed based on the information,
wherein, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied while the plurality of images are continuously formed by the image forming unit, the controller stops rotation of the developer bearing member to acquire the information.

13 more elements

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a first photosensitive member;
a first exposure unit configured to expose the first photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image;
a first developing unit including a first developer bearing member configured to rotate, and bear a developing agent of a first color, and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the first photosensitive member using the developing agent on the first developer bearing member, to form a first image;
a second photosensitive member;
a second exposure unit configured to expose the second photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image;
a second developing unit including a second developer bearing member configured to rotate, and bear a developing agent of a second color that is different from the first color, and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the second photosensitive member using the developing agent on the second developer bearing member, to form a second image;
an intermediate transfer member onto which the first image and the second image are transferred;
a first primary transfer member configured to transfer the first image from the first photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member;
a second primary transfer member configured to transfer the second image from the second photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member;
a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the first image and the second image from the intermediate transfer member onto the sheet;
a first motor configured to rotate the first photosensitive member;
a second motor configured to rotate the second photosensitive member;
an intermediate transfer member motor configured to rotate the intermediate transfer member;
a controller configured to:
control the first motor so that a rotation speed of the first photosensitive member is a first target rotation speed;
control the second motor so that a rotation speed of the second photosensitive member is a second target rotation speed;
control the intermediate transfer member motor so that a rotation speed of the intermediate transfer member is an intermediate transfer member target rotation speed;
acquire information related to a load of the intermediate transfer member motor in a period where the first photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer member are rotated without rotating the first developer bearing member;
control the first target rotation speed based on the information;
control the second target rotation speed based on the information,
wherein, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied while the plurality of images are continuously formed, the controller stops rotation of the first developer bearing member to acquire the information.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.